yep, he was shot in the leg, it hit an artery, and died in front of his parents and wife and 3 kids who were bound.. but 300 dogs?? some of those dogs their spot had alot of water from a recent rain and it was all mud.... as far as the dogs being not cared for, i doubt it, with that many dogs he probably had workers to care for them, as the video that shows some of the dogs they are fat and not malnurished. but they dont have adequate shade that is shown.

CLEVELAND - An investigation into a deadly home invasion uncovered what authorities consider a massive pit bull breeding operation that supplied dogs for illegal dog fighting ventures around the country.

Liberty County sheriff's deputies, Harris County Precinct 6 deputy constables and Houston Humane Society investigators seized most of the more than 300 pit bull terriers from filthy conditions at the home in the 2200 block of County Road 2252 east of Cleveland.

Investigators, however, were unable to collect all of the dogs and will return to the home again today. Those taken Monday were turned over to the Humane Society for treatment.

Last week, Thomas F. Weigner Jr., 27, was shot in the leg during the 3 a.m. home invasion and bled to death, authorities said. Weigner's wife, her parents and the couple's three children were bound with tape during Tuesday's incident, but none was harmed, said Liberty County Sheriff Greg Arthur.

One of Weigner's dogs, considered to be his personal guard dog, was also shot and killed after it managed to get loose and attack one of the three intruders.

"At this time, we don't believe it was a random home invasion," Arthur said. "We do believe there's a connection (to the dog ring.)"

Robbery may have been the motive, investigators said.

The men repeatedly demanded money and shot Weigner in an attempt to get him to tell them where he may have hidden money, said Sgt. Kenny Dagle of the Liberty County Sheriff's Department. Two suspects have been questioned, but Arthur was unable to elaborate on the case. No charges have been filed.

Arthur disclosed, however, that Weigner ran the pit bull operation on his 15- to 20-acre spread and had shipped dogs "all over the country." Weigner also ran a similar business in Pennsylvania, where his family returned Saturday to bury Weigner, investigators said.

The number of pit bulls, valued at about $1 million, posed problems for the Liberty County Sheriff's Department, which lacks the resources to handle such a load. Arthur said he had to call on Precinct 6 and the Humane Society, both experienced in such sizable seizures.

"This is the worst case of animal cruelty and the biggest operation we've seen and been involved in," Arthur said.

More than 200 of the dogs were tied to stakes, and kept at a distance from other dogs. Some were forced to stand in pools of mud and their own feces, authorities said. Some of the more vicious dogs had to be tranquilized so they could be carried into small crates.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.

Adoption isn't an option
Sgt. Mark Timmers, a Precinct 6 investigator, said most illegal dog-breeding operations he's encountered typically average about 120 or so dogs.

"This was a massive pit bull-breeding operation," Timmers said.

Some of the dogs will be housed inside the Humane Society's Wellness Center while others will be kept in separate, 6-foot-high kennels in the agency's barn, both at the agency's 17400 Almeda Road shelter.

"The issue is going to be space," said Courtney Frank, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society. "None of these animals can be housed together."

The agency vowed on its Web site to care for the dogs through the duration of a court case, which could take several weeks. A county justice of the peace will determine who should have custody of the animals.

Although the Humane Society will care and treat the dogs, the nonprofit agency does not offer the breed for adoptions. The agency, Frank said, does not have the resources to "rehabilitate" pit bulls.

However, the city of Houston recently changed its policy and allows the breed to be adopted from its pound.

Still, it's simply too early to tell what will become of the dogs, Frank said. Some may have untreatable health issues as a result of the conditions in which they were kept, she said.

"They certainly deserve a much better life than they one they got from the get-go," Frank said. "These guys have never had a belly rub."

Pit bulls, known by their official American Kennel Club name as American Staffordshire Terriers, remain popular despite their aggressive nature.

That mystifies Colleen Hodges, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Animal Control, who said the breed may benefit from an "underdog syndrome."

"They have a lot of capabilities most people who adopt them aren't ready or prepared for," she said. "Personally, I wouldn't bring them into my house. They have the terrier tenacity, strength and ability to do a lot of damage."

Harris County Animal Control records show a 30 percent increase, to 2,514, in the number of stray or abandoned pit bulls received there in 2005 from the previous year.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.